Fifty COVID-19 patients currently being treated in Lincolnshire’s hospitals

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, which runs Lincoln, Boston and Grantham hospitals, has so far discharged 185 patients who tested positive for coronavirus.

Trust bosses added that hospitals had so far had a total fo 337 COVID-19 inpatients.

It comes as the death toll for COVID-19 in the county’s hospitals reached 100 yesterday (April 29).

Earlier this week, the trust saw its first frontline fatality as Anujkumar Kuttikkottu Pavithran, known as Kumar to colleagues and a staff nurse at Boston Pilgrim, died of coronavirus.

Andrew Morgan, chief executive of ULHT, paid tribute to Kumar and described him as a “a very well liked, professional, respected member of the team”.

Staff at Pilgrim will hold a special Blue Light ‘clap for carers’ tonight in memory of their colleague.

Meanwhile, Lincolnshire has seen 804 cases tested positive so far.

Public health bosses confirmed this morning that 19 deaths have also been recorded in the county’s care homes.

The government started to add care home deaths to the UK’s death toll yesterday (April 29).

As a result, the number of COVID-19 deaths nationally now stands at 26,097.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK was still “coming through the peak” of the virus.

Mr Raab urged people to be patient with social distancing measures and added that the government had to be careful with any decisions it made on changes to the restrictions.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to outline more detail on the government’s conditions to lift lockdown today.